The Flirting Game Summary: A Steamy Fake-Dating Hockey Romance Unpacked

Last Updated: September 5, 2026

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Table of Contents

Introduction

The Flirting Game by Lauren Blakely is the sixth installment in the Love and Hockey series, pairs an eco-conscious interior designer with a veteran NHL defenseman in his final season.

The setup is classic Blakely: a disastrous first meeting, a professional entanglement, and a fake-dating pact that fools everyone except the two people living it.

What follows is a straightforward, character-driven story about two adults navigating attraction, career pressures, and the baggage left by previous relationships.

No villains, no manufactured crises—just two people figuring out whether what they have is worth the risk.

Find more of Lauren Blakely’s book summaries on URSummary’s Lauren Blakely archive.

TL;DR: Neighbors, Fake Dates, and a Hockey Player Who Does Yoga

Skylar Haven, a sustainable interior designer, spends her mornings watching her shirtless neighbor do yoga from her catio.

When they finally meet, her dog tries to hump his dog, a smoothie gets spilled, and the first impression is memorably terrible.

Days later, Skylar interviews for a major design project—and discovers the client is Ford Devon, the grumpy neighbor and professional hockey star.

He hires her anyway. What starts as a working relationship quickly morphs into a flirting competition, then a fake-dating arrangement designed to help both of them save face with exes and matchmakers.

The lines between fake and real dissolve fast.

A hockey injury and Ford’s fear of emotional vulnerability cause a breakup, but a public apology on Skylar’s podcast brings them back together.

The story ends with a Stanley Cup win and a Tuscan vineyard proposal.

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The Flirting Game Summary: Full Story Deep Dive

SPOILER WARNING: This section recounts the complete plot, including the ending.

Skylar Haven moves into her brother Adam’s Hayes Valley townhouse while he travels through Europe. Her new morning ritual involves watching the neighbor across the way perform shirtless yoga on his porch.

She nicknames him “Hot Grumpy Neighbor” and observes from her catio, never expecting to actually meet him.

Then Simon, her spirited Doxie mix rescue, ruins everything. During a walk, Simon attempts to mount the neighbor’s German Shepherd/Corgi mix, Zamboni.

The resulting chaos involves a nicked coffee mug, a ruined kale smoothie, and a heated argument that leaves both parties thoroughly annoyed with each other.

Skylar’s professional life is equally chaotic.

She runs a solo interior design business focused on sustainable, upcycled decor, and she lands an interview for a major project: redecorating a Sausalito home as a retirement gift for the client’s parents. She arrives at the interview and freezes.

The client is Ford Devon—the yoga neighbor.

Ford, a 36-year-old defenseman for the San Francisco Sea Dogs, is equally surprised. But Skylar’s eco-conscious portfolio aligns perfectly with his mother Maggie’s tastes.

He hires her, and the two begin working together on the Sausalito renovation.

Professional proximity breeds familiarity. They exchange late-night texts. They compete over who makes better smoothies.

Skylar’s chaotic, sunshine personality rubs against Ford’s disciplined, list-driven nature, and the friction generates genuine heat. Their dogs—Simon and Zamboni—become reluctant best friends, mirroring their owners’ growing bond.

The fake-dating arrangement emerges from mutual need. Skylar’s cheating ex-boyfriend Landon is opening a board game store and she wants to show up with a hockey star on her arm.

Ford’s mother Maggie, who runs a recycling charity, is tired of matchmakers throwing women at her son. A “revenge fake date” and a charity gala appearance seem like practical solutions.

At Landon’s store opening, Skylar and Ford play their parts convincingly. The public kisses feel real because they are real. At the Devon charity gala, the performance continues—and so does the physical relationship, which escalates in Ford’s hot tub and bedroom.

Both characters recognize their feelings have outpaced the arrangement. Ford admits he feels “lucky” to have met Skylar. But he also carries damage from his previous marriage to Brittany, who was unfaithful. He fears emotional vulnerability the way he once feared on-ice injuries.

The crisis arrives during a game against Vancouver.

Ford spots Skylar in the stands, loses focus for a split second, and takes a brutal hit that leaves him with bruised ribs.

Panicked that romantic attachment is threatening his final season—his last shot at the Stanley Cup—he breaks up with Skylar, framing her as a “distraction.”

Skylar is devastated. Her friends Trevyn and Mabel stage an intervention. Meanwhile, Maggie Devon confronts her son, pointing out that his “distraction” isn’t Skylar—it’s his own fear of being replaced or heartbroken again. Ford realizes his mother is right.

He crashes Skylar’s live-streamed design podcast to apologize publicly. He declares his love on air. Skylar forgives him. In the epilogue, Ford wins the Cup in his final season.

The couple travels to a vineyard in Italy, where Ford proposes.

Skylar says yes.

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Summary by Chapter: Smart Grouping

SPOILER WARNING: This section covers chapter-by-chapter developments.

The Catio Spy and the Sausalito Surprise (Chapters 1–5)

Skylar’s morning routine of watching her fit neighbor from the catio leads to a disastrous first meeting involving her excitable Doxie and a spilled kale smoothie.

The tension escalates when she arrives at a high-stakes design interview only to find the grumpy neighbor, Ford Devon, is the client.

After a sincere apology and a demonstration of her professional skills, Ford hires Skylar to design his parents’ retirement home.

The Flirting Game and Porch Picnics (Chapters 6–12)

As the Sausalito renovation begins, Skylar and Ford develop a playful texting rhythm and bond over their rescue dogs.

A furniture shopping trip reveals shared family values and intensifies their physical chemistry. A late-night snack on Ford’s porch deepens their connection as they begin sharing vulnerabilities and career fears.

Fake Dates and Real Sparks (Chapters 13–21)

To handle matchmakers and a cheating ex, the pair enters a fake-dating arrangement for a store opening and a charity gala.

The “fake” label is tested by an afternoon encounter in Skylar’s kitchen that becomes their first intimate experience. Despite agreeing that sex is “distracting,” they struggle to maintain a one-time-only boundary.

The Best Revenge and Hot Tub Confessions (Chapters 22–31)

The couple attends Landon’s board game store opening and the Devon charity gala, successfully using their visible happiness as revenge against their respective exes.

Their physical relationship intensifies during a night in Ford’s hot tub and bedroom. Both begin acknowledging their feelings are genuine, though Ford still fears the emotional risk involved.

The Penalty Box and the Grand Finale (Chapters 32–36 Plus Epilogue)

A game injury caused by Ford’s distraction leads him to abruptly end the relationship to protect his career focus. After a heart-to-heart with his mother Maggie, Ford understands his real problem was fear of love, not Skylar herself.

He delivers a public apology on Skylar’s podcast, they reconcile, and the story concludes with Ford’s retirement, a Cup victory, and a marriage proposal in a Tuscan vineyard.

Characters in The Flirting Game

Character	Role
Skylar Haven	Eco-friendly interior designer and podcast host who moves into her brother’s townhome and becomes Ford’s neighbor.
Ford Devon	36-year-old professional hockey defenseman for the Sea Dogs in his final season before retirement.
Simon (Simon Side-Eye)	Skylar’s rescue Doxie mix with a large social media following and a habit of judging Ford.
Zamboni	Ford’s loyal German Shepherd/Corgi rescue mix who becomes Simon’s reluctant companion.
Maggie Devon	Ford’s mother who runs a recycling charity and orchestrates the fake-dating arrangement.
Adam Haven	Skylar’s scientist brother whose townhome sets the story in motion.
Trevyn and Mabel	Skylar’s best friends and design podcast co-hosts who provide emotional support.
Landon	Skylar’s cheating ex-boyfriend whose board game store opening motivates the revenge fake date.
Brittany	Ford’s ex-wife whose past infidelity contributes to his fear of romantic commitment.

What Drives the Story: Key Themes

Theme	How the Book Presents It
Fake Dating and Pretend Romances	Skylar and Ford agree to pose as a couple for a store opening and a charity gala, using the arrangement to manage exes and matchmakers.
Healing from Past Betrayal	Ford’s previous marriage ended in infidelity, and Skylar was cheated on by Landon; both must work through trust issues.
Legacy and Retirement in Sports	Ford is in his final professional season and is determined to win the Stanley Cup on his own terms.
Professional Boundaries vs. Personal Desire	Skylar and Ford begin as designer and client, and the tension between their working relationship and mutual attraction drives much of the conflict.
Sustainability and Eco-Conscious Living	Skylar’s design philosophy centers on upcycled, sustainable materials, which becomes the professional reason Ford hires her.

FAQ

How does The Flirting Game end?

Ford publicly apologizes to Skylar on her live-streamed design podcast, they reconcile, and the epilogue shows Ford winning the Stanley Cup before proposing to Skylar in a Tuscan vineyard.

Is The Flirting Game part of a series?

Yes, The Flirting Game is book six of seven in Lauren Blakely’s Love and Hockey series, though it can be read as a standalone.

Does The Flirting Game have a happy ending?

The Flirting Game delivers a happily-ever-after ending with Ford’s retirement, a Cup victory, reconciliation with Skylar, and a marriage proposal in Italy.

What is the fake-dating premise in The Flirting Game?

Skylar needs a date to her cheating ex-boyfriend’s store opening, and Ford’s mother wants to deter matchmakers at a charity gala, so the two agree to pose as a couple.

Who are the main characters in Lauren Blakely’s The Flirting Game?

The main characters are Skylar Haven, an eco-friendly interior designer, and Ford Devon, a 36-year-old professional hockey defenseman for the San Francisco Sea Dogs.